Unlike the current World Championship, Belarus will have a team playing in Stockholm which will be hosting the decisive stage of the 77th World IIHF Championship. In Group S, Belarus will face the Czech Republic (3), Sweden (4), Canada (5), Norway (8), Denmark (12) and Slovenia (18). Group H comprises the national teams of Russia (1), Finland (2), Slovakia (6), the USA (7), Germany (10), Latvia (11), France (14) and Austria (15).
The four best teams from each group will go through to the quarter-finals, while the worst will leave the division. At 2012 world event, Belarus was ranked 14th among 16 teams, after one victory among seven matches.
